(Oregon Coast) – Look for high winds tonight along the Oregon coast as well as mammoth surf, as the north and central coast are under a high wind warning. The rest of the week will remain rainy and sometimes fairly windy, with somewhat large wave action all the way through Thanksgiving.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued the high wind warning, in effect from 4 p.m. Sunday (today) through 3 a.m. Monday morning. Winds near beaches and headlands with gusts up to 60 mph are expected, with sustained winds near 35 mph. In coastal communities, look for south winds 15 to 25 mph and gusts up to 45 mph.

On the northern Oregon coast, the strongest winds will be pummeling through about 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., while on the central coast it will be 8 p.m. to midnight.

Ocean waves will be gargantuan later tonight, building to 20-foot waves at one point then subsiding to 15 feet after midnight. The rest of the week – until Friday – big waves in the teens will be the norm, often around 17 feet. This will mean a good, stormy show for much of the week, especially on rocky surfaces like those at Yachats, Oceanside, Cape Kiwanda, Depoe Bay or just south of Yachats. While jetties will be fun to watch, only do so from afar and stay well clear of them and all rocky surfaces. Stick to watching from safe vantage points such as parking lots.

All this likely brings some excellent storm debris finds along the beaches for those beachcombing over the Thanksgiving weekend, and some good erosion. Some gravel beds will likely open up, making for decent agate hunting – albeit in rainy conditions.

“The upcoming week looks unsettled and wet,” the NWS said. “A cold front will slowly move onto the north coastal areas this afternoon and through the remainder of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon tonight and Monday, stalling and weakening over the southern part of the forecast area Monday afternoon. The front then lifts back north across the forecast area as a warm front Monday night and Tuesday. The front will linger over the area into Wednesday. Another cold front will move through on Thanksgiving with showers lingering into Friday but decreasing later in the day. The next system is expected Saturday night and Sunday.”